Category: Uncategorized
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On New Years’ Eve 2006, I was having lunch with Roy Harrell, who was chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District where I’d been the Director of Communication. When I left in 1998, I’d formed the Environmental PR Group. Roy had advised against it at the time, saying it…
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Just Add Bling
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On days when you feel like a dried-up old leaf, maybe what you need to add is a little bling or a boa? Yea. That’s better.
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What’s Missing?
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The going rate for an appendix, in Lutz, Florida is $43,037.83. That doesn’t include the surgeon. My co-pay for the former was $64 and for the latter $60. An appendix weighs approximately one ounce or 28 grams. In short, my appendix is worth more than gold or platinum or the…
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That Stack of Books, Those articles
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I will never know as much as I want. I watch The Crown and I want to read about Churchill and Eisenhower. I watch the protests and I want to understand Malcolm X. On my reading list are books about mushrooms, eels and why fish are real. How can I…
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Tyranny Lesson 7: Be reflective if you must be armed
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If you carry a weapon in public service, the writer says, may God bless and keep you. But know that theevils of the past involved police and soldiers finding themselves one-day doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.
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Tyranny Lesson 6: Be wary of paramilitaries
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No paraphrasing on this one. The writer’s words are scary. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system begin wearing uniforms and marching with pictures of the dear leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle,…
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On Tyranny 5: Remember Professional Ethics
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When political leaders set a negative example professional commitment to just practice becomes more important. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants. Concentration camp directors need business leaders who want cheap labor. We’re in disarray for lots of different reasons. Something is happening to the U.S. We are on the precipice. All…
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On Tyranny 4: Take Responsibility for the Face of the World
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The author tells us to look at the signs of hate, the swastikas and the rest—don’t look away and don’t get used to them. The reality of today gives way to our future. I don’t see a lot of swastikas in my insulated world, but I see plenty of flags…
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Orcas Overtake Tyranny
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Orcas in Spain are ramming boats hard enough to force them to be towed back to port for repair. Scientists wonder if it’s “play” that went too far or something else? My husband speculates that the orcas are pissed. The orcas have damaged yachts and other vessels, sometimes injuring crew.…
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On Tyranny Chapter 3: Beware the One Party State
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Oppressors are not omniscient from the start, says the author. They seize a historical moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. It seems we have had one historical moment after another. Traditions and norms have long been part of our political life. We have taken them for granted.…